Hydraulic coupling.



J. C. HANSEN-.BLLEHAMMER. HYDRAULIC GOUPLING. APPLIGATION PILED NOV.1B, 1912.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

2 SEEETS-SHEET 1.

J. C. HANSEN-ELLE MER. HYDBAULIC COUP N AAAAAAAAA ONPILEDNOV 18 1912.

Iz; SHBET i Pateted Feb. 9, 1915.

ZSH TS- Bu mn' amare na orno JACOB CHRISTIAN HANSEN-ELLEHAMMER, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

HYDRAULI coUPLINq.

'an improved hydraulic coupling adapted to r be interposed between a positive prime mover, a driving shaft or other driving member, and a machine for doing Work, a

counter shaft, a velocipede, a driving screw, a propeller or other driven member. The improved coupling enables a uniform trans- ,i mission of power to be obtained which is accurately dependent upon the particular adjustment, irrespective of the fact whether the total amount of power or speed or only a part thereof or none' at all is to be transmitted from the driving member or from the main part of the coupling connected thereto' to the other part of the coupling,

which latter is connected tothe particular driven member. t

The improved coupling is constructed in such a way that a substantially annular liq- -uid passage is provided between the coupling members, of which one is provided with one or more pistons which work in the -liquid passage and can be thrust 111 and out transversely thereto in one direction, while the other coupling member is provided with a suitable piston guiding device and with a movable projectiomwhich lies in the vicinit y of the inner or turning point oIthe piston, (that is to say at or near the point where the pisten is in its innermost position) and which, by-means of an externally operated `arrangement can be caused to entirely uncover the liquid passage, in which. case the coupling acts as a frictionless idle member; or to entirely shut ofi' the liquid passage, in which case the coupling acts as a rigid and positive connecting member; or else to shut ofl" the liquid passage more or less only, in which case the power or speed which is transmitted is inversely proportional to the Volume of liquid which flows through the y constricted area produced by adjustment of the projection.

According to -this invention the pistons which are carried by one coupling part, are guided by an elastic band-shaped member connected to the other coupling part. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

.of clearness. e

Patented Feb. 9, llgl.

Application filed November 18, 1912. Serial No. 731344.

passage for liquid is cut ofi cr closed by an approximately semi-cylindrical member anedge of which is adapted to bear against the pisten guiding band. At the ends of the working section of the .liquid passage enlargements are provided.

A coupling according to my invention is diagrammatically'illustrated in' the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 being a transvcrse section along B-B in Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 a view partly in longitudinal section along A-A in Fig. l and partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a similar section as Fig. 1 showing diagrammatically the distribution of pressures of the liquid; Fig. 4 is a development of the elastic band-shaped member. In Fig. 2 the coupling is shown by way of example as constituting a flywheel for a motor, packings for insuring fluid tightness and similar details having all been omitted for the sake In the Construction illustrated as an example the two main members of the coupling lie cne within the other co-axially, and the outer member of the coupling is the driving member having the adjustable projection while the inner member of the coupling, namely the member provided with the pistons (of which four are shown in the drawing) is the driven member. The' adjustment of the projection is efiected by a rotary movement derived from a sleeve 'mounted on the hub of the driving member and the pistons are'guded by an elastic band-shaped member which is -eccentrically arranged in the liquid passage with its ends `attached to the outer member of the coupling, the middle part bearing loosely against the inner member'of the coupling and forming the inner turning point of the pisten.-

3, Fig. 2, is the motor, 4: its crank shaft, 5 the outer or main member of the coupling connected thereto, 6 the end wall or cover of the mainniember, 7 the driven or inner main member of the coupling, 8 the liquid passage, 9 the pistons, 10 the recesses formed in the member 7 to receive the said pisten ber 7 and in the pistons for containing these' springs.

-13 is the band-shaped guiding member provided for the pistons 9 and arranged ecried, 22'is .one of the hearing `of the coupling; it therefore also follows centrically in the liquid assage 8, 14 are -packing rings on both si es of the member driven shaft 15 is tightly packed and in which it runs.

17 is a guide pin'and 19 isa flange for connection to the particular parts to be drven which are not shown.

20 s .the substantially semicylindrical .constricting member or adjustable projection, 21 a suitably sha-ped recess in the member 5 in which'recessthemember 20 is carjournals of the member 20, 23 the other ournal therefor which jour'nal'is prolonged outwardly through the cover 6, and 24 is an arm attached to the journal 23.

25 is a sleeve mounted to slide and rotate 'on the hub 16, and 26 is a circular groove in the outer periphery of this sleeve, 27 is an inclined transverse groove formed in the inner periphery of the sleeve 25; 28 isa pin fixed in the hub 16 and engaging in the said groove 27., 29 is a fork 'having pins which' engage in the circular groove 26, 30 is the fixed pivot of the fork and 31 the controlling handle of, the fork.

32 is an arm or a fork attached to the 1,' and 33 ,is a pin of suitable length attached to the' crank arm 24 of .the constricting member 20 adapted to beoperated by the arin33n Under 'normal conditions the sleeve 25 follows the movements'of the hub 16 and a consequently rotates with themember 5, 6

the cir cular motion of the constricting member 201 When sleeve '25 is moved axiall howeverby' means of the fork 30, 31 it wi be caused to move a'ngularly or. in a rotary sense relatively to its normal 'movement owing 'to the inclinationyof .the transverse' groove 27, so that the arm 32 will be swung outwardly,- carrying with 'it the pin .33' and crank arm 24: and thereby altering theposition of thefco'strictng member 20.

In the drawing" he. constricting member ,20 in adposition in which it 'entirely closes the liqui 8, and will consequently actas'a connect-,ing medium between .the constrctmg member-:

or projection 20' and thfeuiston orj istons- 9, which latter, y t n d posipassage 8 by with its ;inner edge 40 tightly a the guidin tions in' that /part of the liquid passage 8,

that, is to` say in the Working section marked in the lower half of Fig. 1, where the passage is bounded by coaxial cylindrical surfaces. According to requirements the liquid may beeither 'practically incompressible, or may contain Suspended' air and be therebyrendered somewhat compressble.

` When the con'stricting body 20 assumes a position in which its flat or slightly curved 4 surface 50 does not extend beyond the .cylindrcal inner surface of the member 5 the liquid passage 8 will be fully open throughout its whole length, the guiding band -13 being .perforated at those parts which lie at both sides. of the constriction point (40) -ings 131 at these partsorbe made consid erably less in width than the working pasdo not constrict the free cross sectional area* .sage, seethe dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4, so 'that the 'said portions of the gudng' thereof' to any appre'ciable extent. In this case the driven inember 19, 15, 7, 9 is carried along with the drivmg member .3, 4:, 5, 13, 20, 'the reason being that' the nternal work done in the coupling, namely thesleeve 25, ndcated n dotted hnes n -Fgx movement of the 'guiding band 13 by the liquid and the consequent 'thrusting of the pistons 9 into theirrecesses'lO, is eflected practically without resistance and wth so little friction that in' .comparison with' the resistances which 'asa rule are produced at the corresponding external working `-parts, it may be entirely disregarded.

The internal work done in the coupl'ng s eifected without any appreciable resistance as the pistons ,9 are without any load upon them during their movement. hen a pise ton 9 moves from the top downwardly, say *to the right in Fig. 1 and approaches the 'horizontal position, it will assume, in 'conse- `'quence of the concentric shape of the lower'- end 130 of the guicling band 13, or of the Y concentric shape, of any other guiding device, and'throu h the actionof its spring 11,

its fully exten ed working position, before it enters the working section `(80) or. before v it has anyiload put on it, that is to say before it is subjected to 'a one-'sided counterpressure from the liquid which is driven forward by the projection 20 in a clock-wise direction for example. This" movement of the pistons directly into the operative .position priorto any load being put upon them is rendered possible by the fact that 'the liquid passage 8 is provided at the ends of the working section (8.0) 'with suitable enlargements 88, in consequece whereof there is' outside `and around the pistons, (which re iso ceive their final movement at this point) the same cross sectional area for the liquid as there is over the working section, in fact even a greater cross'sectional area. Ne onesided pressure is exerted by the liquid upon the pistons during their movement and the movement therefore takes place, practically speaking without any resistance. As similar conditions exist on the exit side of the working section (80,) on the left hand exit side for example inFig. 1, the liquid will therefore, when the constricting member 20 assumes the open position as set forth, remain at rest together with the member 7 9 of the coupling, while the member 5, 13, 20 will practically speaking rotate without any resistance outside and around the liquid in side the internal member of the coupling so that the coupling as aforesaid acts as a fricti'onless idle member. r

When the constricting member 20 is caused to assume a certain intermediate position or, by Operating the couplin through handle 31, passes through all the intermediate positions between the extreme positions last and first mentioned, a gradually increasing constriction of the liqu'id passage will be' effected between the edge' 40 and the member 7 of' the coupling. The liquid will have a certain constant or increasing tendency to follow the member 5, 13, 20 of the coupling; and will therefore act over the working sec-i ton (80) with a certain constant or increas ing force upon the pistons 9 and consequently upon the other driven members. The magnitude of this'force is governed by. rule for any given adjustment of the constricting member 20 and is also determined by the degree of constriction or the Volume,

ofthe liquid flowing through the passage 8.

As it is of importance in many cases, particularly in the case of initial full load, that the coupling be thrown into action at a uniform, and not too great a speed, the device (31) for throwing it into action may be combined with some one or other suitable resistance device, such as a fluid pressure brake or the like, which insures the coupling being thrown into action at a uniform and suitable slow speed without however putting any brake on the operation of throwing the coupling out of action.

The details of the coupling shown and described and in particular the adjusting devices (2%33) of the constricting member are, as hereinbefore stated, to be regarded as examples only and may be modified in 4 many ways without departure from the invention. Great importance is however attached to the elastic guiding band 13, firstly because it isa simple and cheap means of producing the guiding curves, which in themselves can be of any desired form and which the pistons follow between the enlargements, and secondly because it makes 'braking effect on the driven member.

the fluid tight packing between the constricting member 20 or its edge 40 and the other member of the coupling, independent of any wear that may ensue. The band may be simply fixed in the passage 8 so that its bent over ends are elastically held in suitable hooks provided for them in the wall of the 'particular member of the coupling for exin consi'derable limits without the least jar.

Having now particularly described and ascertaned the nature of the .sad nventon and n what manner the same s to be .per-

formed I declare that what I claim is:

1. A hydraulic clutch comprising a drivmg element and a driven element, said elements inclosing a substantially annular liquid containing passage, a number of movable pistons mounted in one of said elements and adapted 'to travel in a direction transverse ,to said passage, an -elastic band-shaped member connected to the other element for guiding said istons, and a movable constricting member located in a recess of the said other element behind said ban-cl-shaped member. O

2. A hydraulic clutch comprsng a driv- -ing element and a driven element, said elements inclosing a substantially annular liquid containing passage, a number of movable pistons mounted in one of said elements and adapted to travel in a direction transverse to said passage, an elastic band-shaped member connected to the other element for guiding said pistons, `and meansflfor moving said pistons in engagement with'said bandshaped member, and a movable constricting member located in a recess of the said other element behind said band-shaped member.

3. A hydraulic clutch comprising a driving element and a driven' element, said elements inclosing a substantially annular liquid containing passage, a number of movable pistons mounted in one of said elements and-adapted to travelin a direction transverse to said passage, and an elastic bandshaped member connected to the other elemer t for guidingLsaid pistons, and a substantially semi-cylindrical member provided with an edge adapted to be brought in contact with and bear against said band-shaped member.

4! A hydraulic clutch comprising a driving element and a driven element, the said elements inclosing a substantially annular liquid containing passage, a number of movable pistons mounted in one of said elements and adapted to travel in a direction transverse to said passage, and an elastic bandshaved member connected to the other ele: ment for guiding said pjstons, and a movable constcting member located in a recess of the said other element behind said band-, shaped member.

5. A hydraulic clutch, comprising a driving 'element and a driven element, the said elements inclosng a, substantially annular liquid containing passage provided with enlargements on opposite sides, a number of movable pistons mounted in one of said elements and adapted to travelin a direction 1', 127316&

for increasing the 'cross-sectional area of the said passage, and means for varying ,the cross`sectonal area of said passage.

In testmony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.- v

JACOB CHRISTIAN HANSEN-ELLEHAMMER. witnesses: r

HJALMAR BOUTARD, KUND BOTTELET. 

